We are all aware of the profound disruption that this pandemic is causing to our lives and our economy. It is the first pandemic we are facing in modern times and the level of uncertainty about how the situation will unfold is just unbearable. There are too many variables, and we really don't know how bad the economy will be impacted, and how long it will take for it to recover; we don't even know if and when this virus will leave our lives. What we do know for sure, though, is that, no matter what the central banks and governments do—no matter how much money they print and how they distribute it—an increasing number of people will delay and default on their loans, and more companies will declare bankruptcy, as it's already happening. There is no doubt that this is a grim environment for investors, especially for those who have exposure to the most affected sectors. However, the good news is that this disruption is also generating unprecedented opportunities that we are going to discuss with our guest panelists.

2 Interesting Data Points

PNC Financial Services Group said, it completed the sale of its stake in money manager Blackrock Inc. for some $14.4 billion. The Pittsburgh-based bank sold 31.6 million shares of common and preferred stock through a registered offering at $420 per share.

Blackstone COO, John Gray says distressed buying opportunities are still about a year away from full scale deployment of 44 billion dollars of dry powder while posting a 1st quarter write down of 30.3% on their distressed debt opportunities fund.